British tourists are boycotting package holidays to Spain as they think they are 'too British'.

According to recent research, the presence of too many fellow British tourists and UK-themed pubs are putting people off holidaying in the Costas.

Holidaymakers said they were tired of seeing karaoke bars and Brit pubs on every corner instead of traditional paella restaurants and tapas bars. They want to see more of the tradition and culture of the country they are visiting, interact more with locals and try more foreign drinks and food.

While package holidays to Spain are on the decrease, holidays to Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Portugal appear to be on the increase. Television and films are bringing far-off locations into living rooms and tour operators are making the most of this by providing package holidays to these destinations, helping turn dreams into reality.

ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, confirmed that around 10% fewer tourists went to Spain on holiday during 2009, blaming the poor exchange rate and global recession. They did add that Spain was still Europe’s most visited destination with over 10 million visitors last year.

Many holidaymakers prefer to return to the same resort each year, but new destinations are opening up as travellers become more adventurous. The opportunity to see more of the world and a new confidence could be the reasons why people are trying out new destinations. It could just be, though, that Spain is not as economical as it used to be.

One of the most up-and-coming destinations for package holidays has to be Egypt. Flight times are not as long as for Caribbean destinations, the Egyptian Pound is strong against its British counterpart, and its African location keeps temperatures favourable all year round.

According to one survey, tourists gave strange reasons for not wanting to visit certain countries. One reason for not wanting to visit Tunisia was a fear of camels; another that put someone off taking package holidays to the Canary Islands was a fear of birds!

For whatever reason, fewer people are visiting Spain, so now could be a good time to book those package holidays and make the most of it before they all come back. Or do as everyone else seems to be doing, and take the chance to visit the far-off shores you could once only dream about.